Dolphins offseason checklist: Malaki Starks could bring a spark
With the new league year kicking off March 12, NFL teams are already deep into planning for the offseason.
Here are five moves the Miami Dolphins should make in the coming months:
1. Shore up the offensive line
Protecting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed six games with head and hip injuries last season, should be the team’s top priority, especially with guards Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones and Isaiah Wynn about to become free agents.
Starting left tackle Terron Armstead is signed through 2026 but may not be back next season. The five-time Pro Bowler considered retirement last year but came back to make 15 starts after missing 11 games over the previous two seasons. Per the Sun Sentinel’s David Furones, head coach Mike McDaniel said the future is still up in the air for Armstead and that the Dolphins are preparing as if he won’t be back.
2. Restock the defensive line
Only three teams allowed less yards per game (314.3) than Miami last year, but key players like Calais Campbell, Da’Shawn Hand and Benito Jones are about to become free agents.
Eagles free-agent edge-rusher Josh Sweat would be a perfect replacement for Campbell and Hand but could be too expensive with a market value that could bring upwards of $56M over the next three years. Otherwise, the Dolphins could consider drafting Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. or Marshall’s Mike Green with their first-round pick.
3. Add to the secondary
Slot cornerback Kader Kohou is set to become a free agent, as are starting safeties Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer. Georgia’s Malaki Starks, considered one of the best safety prospects in this year’s draft, could be available with the 13th pick.
The First-Team All-American had six interceptions in three college seasons and recently had an excellent meeting with Dolphins, per the Miami Herald’s C. Isaiah Smalls II. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound safety would be an excellent addition to Miami’s ninth-ranked secondary if the team can’t find an offensive or defensive lineman to its liking.
4. Get more running backs
Raheem Mostert is already gone and free agent Jeff Wilson Jr. won’t be back after rushing for just 57 yards last season. That leaves De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright, who had 68 carries as a rookie, as the only running backs on Miami’s roster.
“I’m fired up (about) the incomplete room,” head coach Mike McDaniels told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Right now, I feel extremely strong about who is in the room knowing it will grow by two to three people.”
But who will those people be? The Dolphins are scheduled to have the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and have been linked to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, but so have the Cowboys, who own the 12th pick. If he’s unavailable, running backs like North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins should all be available in the second round.
5. Trade WR Tyreek Hill
Two years ago, Hill led the league in receiving with 1,799 yards. Last year, he had 123 catches for 959 yards, a five-year low. Despite recent comments to the contrary, the receiver has made it seem like he would love to get out of Miami.
Hill apparently refused to play in the fourth quarter of last year’s regular-season finale against the Jets and has a $28.7M cap hit for 2025, well above the $14.4M the team could save by trading him in June.
At this point, the Dolphins should see what they can get for the NFL’s 30th-leading receiver.
